Monday, August 15, 2016

Discerning God's activity in the midst of conflict

In today's gospel reading,[1]
Jesus, the Prince of Peace, surprisingly declares that he did not come to bring
peace on earth but division and, by inference, conflict. He then challenged his
hearers to interpret the signs of the times. Palestinian peasants predicted the
weather by reading the sky. Clouds rising in the west over the Mediterranean meant
rain. A southerly wind indicated scorching heat would arrive from the Arabian
Desert. Jesus spoke plainly: “You hypocrites! You claim to put God at the
center of your lives. Yet your emphasis is on the things of this world and not
the Kingdom of God. You do not know how to read the signs of the times to
understand what God is doing in your midst.” His words haunt us twenty
centuries later. We claim to be religious, spiritual people. Yet, do we see God
acting in our midst? Can we identify what God is doing in the world today?

This morning, I want us to discern the signs
of the times in both national events and the life of Holy Nativity. If I were
to preach a series of sermons on this text, we could also helpfully focus on
discerning the signs of the times globally, within Christianity in general and
The Episcopal Church in particular, and in our families and individual lives.
In every setting, we can discern God's activity by identifying ways in which
justice has increased, love has extended its transforming reach, and new life
has flourished.

In the last few decades, the US has
experienced what many observers call culture wars. Illustratively, many
Christians who once regarded themselves and their religion as core elements of US
national identity and ethos now feel marginalized. During my lifetime, public
schools ceased to begin the school day with prayer and a Bible reading. Governments
removed the Ten Commandments from public buildings. Church attendance has dropped
precipitously. Today, retail businesses are not only open on Sundays but may also
sell alcoholic beverages. Many states have legalized gambling and the use of
marijuana. Concurrently, sexual mores have changed. Pre-marital sex is widely accepted
and alternative lifestyles are affirmed.

Consequently, large numbers of Christians,
especially theologically conservative Christians, believe that godless secular
forces are waging war against Christianity. Concerned Christians first responded
by organizing groups such as the Moral Majority and Focus on the Family. More
recently, Christian feelings of persecution have hardened into an angry
rejection of experienced politicians.

This reaction, I believe, misreads the signs
of the times. When I look at the US in 2016, I see a much more profoundly
Christian nation than existed in the 1950s and 1960s. For example, my fifth
grade public school class said the Lord's Prayer together at the start of each
school day. The exercise made a travesty of prayer. Students were visibly
disengaged from any effort to turn toward God. I think that my experience is
symptomatic of a nation that outwardly acted Christian while inwardly valuing privilege,
making money, belonging to a church for its social advantages, and defeating
Communism.

In 2016, environmental stewardship is a
priority. Compared to 1960, people are now far more likely to be judged by the
content of their character than by the color of their skin, gender, ethnicity,
or gender orientation. Jim Crow laws are gone. Misguided calls both for excluding
immigrants based upon their religion or nationality and for building walls to
exclude immigrants trigger a much more negative reaction today than they would
have fifty years ago. People's primary motivation for being active in the
Church is that they value belonging a community committed to walking the Jesus'
path, spiritual growth, and loving their neighbor. In sum, justice has
increased, love has extended its reach, and new life is flourishing. As Jesus' resurrection
poignantly emphasizes, God is defeating evil.

Holy Nativity during the last couple of years
lived through severe conflict. Out of the ashes of that conflict, I also
discern clear signs of God moving in our midst.

First, I see people returning to Holy
Nativity, committed to this community and its ministries. The heart of a
Christian congregation – any Christian congregation – is not the building, the
priest or pastor, or any program or ministry, but Jesus.

Second, I see people reconciling with one
another. Reconciliation does not mean papering over past disagreements with polite
platitudes. As Jesus reminded his hearers, conflict is inevitable. However, Jesus'
followers both try to avoid framing disagreements in anger and turning against
a brother or sister because of a disagreement. Reconciliation starts by
recognizing that almost everyone involved in the conflict wanted what he or she
prayerfully believed to be best for Holy Nativity. Reconciliation continues when
individuals own their misplaced anger and hard feelings, confess those failings
to God, and work to heal broken or damaged relationships. I observe
reconciliation as the Holy Nativity ohana again cultivates
respect and trust for one another as members of God's beloved family. We gather
as sinners who need a hospital, not as saints seeking a safe haven.

Third and finally, I discern signs of new
life in this community. If you were on campus Tuesday, the first day of the new
school year, then you saw an exciting vitality. This academic year Holy
Nativity School has chosen the word inspire as their theme. Visit your
school and be inspired. Last week, if you read the Banyan Tree, the parish
newsletter (and if you do not receive the Banyan Tree, please give me your
contact details and I'll ensure that you are added to the distribution)
featured a report on the ten goals that the Vestry set for the next eleven
months. Among these goals are developing a program to incorporate newcomers
into our community, creating a quarterly fellowship program, revitalizing
worship, improving communication, and initiating the search process for a new
rector. Those goals are marks of renewed mission, marks of new and restored
life at Holy Nativity, and, most importantly, signs of God's activity in our
midst.

In sum, I see at Holy Nativity signs of justice
increasing, love growing, and new life beginning to flourish. For us, like
Jesus before us, conflict is a catalyst that transforms the agony and apparent
defeat of crucifixion into the glorious victory of resurrection.